"Aunt Jenny told me to give this to you," said the girl, holding a letter in her outstretched hand.
"Um, okay," I said taking the note.
The front read "To Jim". I tore open the top of the letter using my thumb and pulled the neatly folded printer paper out. Unfolding the paper, I cleared my throat and read the message aloud.
"Dear Jim, it has come to my attention that you haven't spent enough time with your daughter since my sister -your ex-wife- Sabrina gained full custody. She was meant to stay with me for about a month while Sabrina went on vacation with her new fiance but I have a pretty full plate when it comes to my work. I'm leaving Alexis with you so you can bond with her. She's wants to know her father probably just as bad as you've wanted to know your daughter. Sincerely, Jennifer."
P.S. Be sure not to tell Sabrina about this, I'm sure she'll go right after the courts if you do."
I looked up from the letter at Alexis who was uncomfortably standing in the doorway, "Should I come inside then?" she asked nervously.
"Oh, yeah. Come on in," I said stepping to the side to let her through, "Just put your stuff anywhere and, um, I'll go set up a room for you, I guess."
I meticulously moved around the couch -making sure to inconspicuously sweep Pinkie up off of the coffee table- and walked as calmly as I could to the second bedroom. Minding to carefully shut the door behind me, I fell heavily into the tattered computer chair. "Isn't my life just wonderfully complicated?" I asked sarcastically, "First, I find some sort of advanced pony AI on my doorstep. Then my distant daughter. What next?!"
Ding dong!
"I think that's for you!" chirped Pinkie through the disk.
I was about to scream in frustration, but I restrained myself for the sake of Alexis. "That better be Andy," I muttered under my breath, "I don't know how much more craziness I can handle!" I mentally forced myself out of the well-used chair to greet my newest guest.
"I'm not just some AI you know," politely objected Pinkie, "I'm unique. Even compared to the other five, they are nothing like me at all..."
"Wait, there are more of you?" I asked stunned.
"Well duh! It wouldn't be the complete Elements of Harmony without all six of us!"
"Does that mean that the other AIs are the other ponies of the mane six?" I asked speculatively.
"That's right!" Pinkie cheered, "We're the best of friends! We used to play all the time, that is, before our destiny was determined."
"What is that supposed to mea-"
Ding dong!
"I think you might want to get that," giggled Pinkie.
"Ugh, alright, I got it," I said reluctantly leaving the room.
"Do you want me to answer it?" offered Alexis from the living room. She was still sitting on the couch rummaging through her over-stuffed backpack.
"It's okay, I've got it," I said as I quickly walked to the door. After fumbling over the simple chain lock that Alexis must have set after I left, I opened the door to greet a very exhausted and sweaty Andy.
"I got here... As fast as... I could," huffed Andy who was hunched over with his elbows on his knees trying to catch his breath.
"Did you run here?!" I asked astonished, "You live miles away!"
"Grammy was on her way... To the laundromat so... I just caught a ride with her."
"Are you kidding me? The laundromat is still like a mile and a half away from here!" I exclaimed, baffled at the thought that he had made it here at all, "It's not like it was that urgent! Whatever, come get a cup of water or something."
I ushered the wheezing Andy inside and around the island of the kitchen. He splashed his face a few times, dried himself off on the kitchen towel, and looked as if he was brand new.
"Whew, so much better!" rejoiced Andy with a victorious stretch. At the exact moment Andy relaxed his arms, his eyes locked with Alexis'. "I... Uh... Didn't know you had guests already."
Alexis immediately looked away with a nervous blush and hid her face behind her bag.
"This is my daughter Alexis," I explained, "She is going to be staying with me for a month so we can bond with each other."
"Didn't Sabrina win custody or something though?" asked Andy.
Alexis cleared her throat. "Well, she did, but I was supposed to be with my aunt for a bit while my mom went on vacation with her newest fiance. Then my aunt and I got talking and we came up with a great idea. I could spend some time with James and she could concentrate on the sculptures she's been working on. Of course my mom couldn't find out because she doesn't like James at all."
"I guess that makes some sense..." muttered Andy. He furrowed his brow and fell deep into thought.
"You can call me dad you know," I said to Alexis with an uneasy smile.
"Um... I think you might have to earn that title..."
"Oh, okay," I said looking down awkwardly. Everyone in the room sat in uncomfortable silence. Time seemed to stretch out for an eternity.
Pinkie buzzed to life, breaking the deafening quiet with her cheery voice. "You should put me down on the table, pretty please," Pinkie requested.
Everyone eyes immediately darted down to the glowing disk held firmly in my hand. I looked back and forth at the awestruck faces of both Andy and Alexis before complying with Pinkies' wish. A few short seconds later, Pinkies' hologram loaded the same way she had when I had first pushed the button, except this time she was just showing off. As her mane finished forming, she struck a few silly poses before sitting down with a welcoming smile.
"Hi, I'm Pinkie P.A.I., it's a pleasure to meet you!" she announced gleefully.
Alexis was the first to react with a squeal of delight. She immediately rushed Pinkie, asking her a flurry of nonsensical questions. "Oh my gosh, are you really Pinkie? Well, of course you are! You're sitting right there! Aw man, this is so cool! What's it like in Equestria? Are the other ponies as awesome as the show says they are? What about your cupcakes? Aren't they just absolutely amazing? Oh, what about..."
Andy, on the other hand, stood in a silent disbelief. What his eyes saw conflicted with what his brain said shouldn't exist. He looked over to me with his mouth open as if he was about to say something but didn't. Instead, he just looked back at the smothered Pinkie with his mouth still agape. His mouth suddenly shut as he realized that he left it open and then shook himself back into reality similar to the way a dog would dry itself off. "S-so this is what you wanted me to see?" he asked quietly, unsure if that was the right question to ask at all.
"Yeah," I replied, unable to think of anything else to say.
"Well... It's sure interesting," he said still looking down at Alexis and Pinkie. All of a sudden, he began to laugh as if he had remembered a particularly funny joke. "You know, Alexis is a lot like you used to be."
"You're changing the subject," I accused, afraid of the painful conversation about to follow.
"I know, I know, but hear me out. Do you remember that time? Now that I think about it, it must have been at least eight years ago," Andy reminisced, "Alexis was about to have her fourth birthday party, do you remember that?"
I looked back at the distant memories. "Yeah, vaguely."
"You were all sorts of exited when Sabrina had a change of heart and said you could stop by for a few minutes to see Alexis. After the call you told me you couldn't help but cheer at the top of your lungs," Andy paused and chucked, "And the neighbors weren't all too appreciative of it."
Memories from that day came flooding back to me as the wall which I had unintentionally repressed them with broke down. I remembered the buttered toast I had just made as I got the call. I remembered the beautifully perfect weather. I even remembered that poorly made detergent commercial playing on the TV in the background. That day hit me like and emotional tidal wave.
"Is that true?" asked Alexis, who was still facing away from me.
"It's as true as I am handsome," boasted Andy with a cheesy pose.
"You know, that might not be the best analogy," I teased.
"I... Uh..." Alexis sniffled, "I think I need to be alone for a minute," she got up and dashed away, locking herself in the bathroom.
"Poor girl," sighed Pinkie, "So many crazy things happening all at once. That could put anypony in a sour mood. It's so sad. If only I could..." Pinkie sniffled.
"Come on now, there's no need for you to start crying," I said comfortingly, "You shouldn't need to worry about Alexis. I don't think she left because she's sad, I think it's because she's just a little confused."
"Really?" asked Pinkie with a new tone of optimism, "Then we should let her figure things out and when she comes back I'll cheer her up with a super duper secret song I just made up for her."
"That's the spirit," I said with a smile.
"Hey, James," said Andy, "It kinda looks like if I stay then I'll just be in the way."
"You don't need to go if you don't want to," I said halfheartedly.
"Yeah, I knew you'd say something like that, but I should still probably be out if I want a ride back with Grammy."
"If that's what you have to do, then I'm not stopping you," I said moving back to let Andy pass, "Don't go killing yourself with your running, alright?"
"Alright," grinned Andy. He did some pre-run stretches as he walked towards the door and popped his knuckles just for added effect, "You better be online later," Andy said opening the door.
"I might be."
"I'm holding you to that," said Andy as he jogged away.
I sighed as I shut the door behind him.
"How long have you two been friends?" Pinkie inquired.
"It was my junior year of high school I believe," I said looking down the hallway, "Do you think I should go check on Alexis?"
"She looked pretty sad, but I think you'll be okay to go talk to her," Pinkie encouraged.
I nodded and walked over to the bathroom door. I then knocked a couple times and waited quietly for a response.
"What do you want?" Alexis asked shakily. She had obviously been crying.
"I just wanted to make sure you're okay," I said through the door.
"You're a few years late to be 'making sure I'm okay'."
"I'm sorry, I really am. Things have a funny way of working out, you know?"
"Why?" Alexis choked out.
"Why, what?" I asked in concerned confusion.
"Why were you never there when I needed you?" she asked, her voice barely audible.
"Don't think I didn't want to be there for you. Sabrina would murder me if I got within a hundred feet of you," I admitted.
"Why do you two hate each other so much? Mom won't tell me because she says that I'm too young to understand, but I am old enough!"
"Well... It's complicated," I trailed off.
"That's exactly what mom says..." Alexis murmured spitefully.
I stood next to the door in somber silence thinking of some way to make this all better. It didn't look like there was anything I could do to help her. I wasn't there for her and we both knew that.
"Hey, are you listening still?" I asked after what felt like hours of silence.
Alexis sniffled before replying, "Yeah, I'm listening."
"Out relationship is pretty rocky -we both know that- but that's why you're here, isn't it?"
"Yeah, but..." Alexis couldn't find the right words.
"So I say that instead of dwelling on what happened and didn't happen we focus on right now. You're here now and that's what matters, right?"
After a few moments the lock disengaged and the door crept open. To my surprise Alexis ran out and held me in a tight embrace. "You're right," Alexis smiled, "Just promise me that this time you'll stay."
"I promise," I said hugging Alexis back.